Historical geography Books

Book SynopsisFrom the first account of Colter's Run, published in 1810, fascination with John Colter, one of America's most famous and yet least known frontiersmen and discoverer of Yellowstone Park, has never waned. Unlike other legends of the era like Daniel Boone, Davy Crockett, and Kit Carson, Colter has remained elusive because he left not a single letter, diary, or reminiscence. Gathering the available evidence and guiding readers through a labyrinth of hearsay, rumor, and myth, two Colter experts for the first time tell the whole story of Colter and his legend.Trade ReviewIn the annals of American history, John Colter’s name is often mentioned in the same breath as Daniel Boone and Davy Crockett as one of the expanding frontier’s original frontiersmen. Colter is frequently cited as the discoverer of Yellowstone and holds a legendary reputation for outrunning a tribe of Blackfoot Indians hell-bent on hunting him down like an animal, a feat for which the yearly Colter’s Run foot race in Montana is named. Yet, because Colter left behind almost no written documents, such as journals or letters, precious little is known about the explorer’s life other than information gleaned from second- and third-hand accounts. . . .[The authors] devote themselves to separating the myths from the facts while offering fascinating tidbits about other people associated with Colter, such as Lewis and Clark. Readers new to Colter will be intrigued, while those familiar with his standing will be pleased to finally see a definitive biography of this noteworthy American pioneer. * Booklist *John Colter often 'travelled day and night' into uncharted territory like fellow 19th-century frontiersmen Daniel Boone, Simon Kenton, and Samuel Brady. Unlike those 'other mythmakers of the era,' however, who 'left documents behind that allow access to the men themselves,' Colter apparently left nothing. To pull together this volume on his feats and his forays into what would become Yellowstone National Park, authors Anglin and Morris relied on second- and third-hand accounts to give Colter his due and satisfy their own curiosity about his achievements. Among those from Kentucky handpicked by Meriwether Lewis and William Clark to journey westward toward the Pacific, Colter had 'an exceptional sense for survival' and an instinct for direction. A rugged backwoodsman, he could endure 'fatigue, privations, and perils,' and had also 'learned how to track men and animals.' Colter later became the first white man to go into Yellowstone, and the authors address how and why he went, and what he experienced along the way. Anglin and Morris make a valiant effort to tell Colter’s fascinating, if complicated, story and celebrate his legacy. * Publishers Weekly *Historians have difficult enough task writing about people who lived hundreds of years ago, when reliable first-person sources may be scarce. So imagine the challenge of writing about John Colter, who did not leave behind a single written document. . . .This is the first biography attempted on the elusive Colter, and it’s as fascinating . . . as you might expect. * Cowboys and Indians *It is a fine addition to the annals of the fur trade. * True West *Long-term, indefatigable research efforts by Ronald M. Anglin and Larry E. Morris give us an incomparable telling of the John Colter story. . . .Anglin and Morris’ revelations and conclusions are many and often ground breaking. . . .The authors are highly commended for bringing the greatest amount of clarity as possible to the Colter story, for which a number of mysteries will always remain. * We Proceeded On *I could not help wonder what it would be like to explore such a wild and unforgiving place [as Yellowstone] alone. The authors of this book did not tell me, because Colter did not tell anybody. The authors did, however, lure me into contemplating the mystery of a man for whom there are no records prior to the Lewis and Clark journals and payroll. If you choose to read this book about first encounters between native tribes and frontiersmen, get a good map of Wyoming, Montana, and Idaho for reference. Then get lost in a story of a time now so hard to imagine. * ricklibrarian *Gloomy Terrors is worth reading and having in one's library. * Montana The Magazine of Western History *A unique insight into the life of one of America’s most famous, and yet least known, early frontiersman: John Colter. The authors manage to use and cite a great deal of evidence while preserving an almost ‘adventure novel’ feel to the narrative—a difficult achievement. Through the life of John Colter the reader gets a first-hand view of the early frontier from the Louis & Clark expedition to the founding of Yellowstone National Park, mixed in with numerous tales of adventure heroism. -- Benjamin Kline, De Anza CollegeTable of ContentsAcknowledgments 1 “Off He Started with the Speed of the Wind”: Colter’s Run 2 “One of the Survivors, of the Name of Coulter”: Searching for Colter’s Roots 3 “In Quest of the Country of Kentucke”: John Colter and the Legacy of Daniel Boone 4 “Colter Came Running Along the Shore”: The Encounter with the Lakota Sioux 5 Colter Had Just Arrived with a Letter from Capt. Clark.": Perilous Rivers and Mountains 6 “Colter Expressed a Desire To Join Some Trappers”: The Partnership with Dickson and Hancock 7 "Unruly Hands to Manage": Up the Missouri with LIsa 8 "Lonely Wanderings": The Riddle of Colter's Route 9 "In the Midst of an Unbounded Wilderness": Washington Irving and the Legend of Colter's Run 10 "We All Now Became Blind": West with Menard and Henry 11 "He Reluctantly Took Leave of Us": Surviving in Civilization 12 "As Fine a Body of Hardy Woodsmen as Ever Took the Field": Colter's Final Days Epilogue Chronology Appendix A: Accounts of Colter's Run Appendix B: The Documentary History of John Colter, 1803-1846 Appendix C: The Colter Stone and Other Graffiti Notes Sources Cited Index About the Authors

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Book SynopsisThe definitive account of the incomparable Lone Star state by the author of Fire & Blood: A History of Mexico. T. R. Fehrenbach is a native Texan, military historian and the author of several important books about the region, but none as significant as this work, arguably the best single volume about Texas ever published. His account of America's most turbulent state offers a view that only an insider could capture. From the native tribes who lived there to the Spanish and French soldiers who wrested the territory for themselves, then to the dramatic ascension of the republic of Texas and the saga of the Civil War years. Fehrenbach describes the changes that disturbed the state as it forged its unique character. Most compelling is the one quality that would remain forever unchanged through centuries of upheaval: the courage of the men and women who struggled to realize their dreams in The Lone Star State.

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Book SynopsisThe Fence and the Bridge is about the development of the Canada-US border-security relationship as an outgrowth of the much lengthier Canada-US relationship. It suggests that this relationship has been both highly reflexive and hegemonic over time, and that such realities are embodied in the metaphorical images and texts that describe the Canada-US border over its history. Nicol argues that prominent security motifs, such as themes of free trade, illegal immigration, cross-border crime, terrorism, and territorial sovereignty are not new, nor are they limited to the post-9/11 era. They have developed and evolved at different times and become part of a larger quilt, whose patches are stitched together to create a new fabric and design. Each of the security motifs that now characterize Canada-US border perceptions and relations has a precedent in border-management strategies and border relations in earlier periods. In some cases, these have deep historical roots that date back not just years or decades but centuries. They are part of an evolving North American geopolitical logic that inscribes how borders are perceived, how they function, and what they mean.Table of ContentsTable of Contents for The Fence and the Bridge: Geopolitics and Identity along the CanadaâU.S. Border by Heather N. Nicol Introduction Chapter One: Wars and Walls: The Early Canada-U.S. Border Chapter Two: All Together Now! Annexation, Immigration and Naturalized Geopolitics Chapter Three: The Uncrowning of Canada? Chapter Four: The Smooth Border Emerges Chapter Five: Theorizing Border Control in the Twenty-First Century Chapter Six: Constructing Risk, Securing Border Chapter Seven: Canada, the Border and American Hegemony: Cosmopolitanism? Or Not? Chapter Eight: Conclusions Bibliography Index

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